Time and Again
by remuslupin31060
Summary: Time and again he saw her, and time and again he surprised himself with how much he loved her, by how much he would do for her... A collection of word prompts randomly chosen from a hat and made into oneshots revolving around the Doctor and River.
1. Aspiration

**Hi! This is a story of word prompts, where I randomly choose a word from a hat and write a oneshot about it. Each oneshot will make one chapter in this story, and if anyone wants to comment or PM me a few words to add to my hat, I'll gladly take any word contributions. I really hope you all enjoy this!**

**This one takes place directly after TWORS. I know this one is more of a thought process, but the others will have dialogue and will follow more of a story layout. :)**

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1: Aspiration- Strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition

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She was his wife now. He smiled as the idea of it fully sank in. He had always known that River would mean something special to him, but this? This was fantastic. It was exciting and exhilarating and the Doctor found himself giddy at the prospect of being a husband; River's husband.

What should he start with? The Doctor was absolutely lost on what he should do first. Should he take her out or stay in and attempt to cook dinner on his own? Maybe he could do both.

One thing he knew for certain was that he would _always_ be there for her, not matter what. He would tear time apart if he had to.

She had done exactly that for him.

The Doctor was startled and caught off guard by the intensity of how much he loved River. It was something he had always known but never fully realized. She was his world, his worlds, and he would make sure she knew that of all things.

He suddenly felt very, very lucky. He had a wonderful, beautiful woman as his wife. Almost out of nowhere he got protective. River was his wife now; he had to take care of her. It was his job, his responsibility; it came with loving someone as much as the Doctor loves River. He would die for her if the need was to arise, and he would do it without hesitation. He would do absolutely anything for her.

From then on, he sort of viewed it as an aspiration, an ambition, a desire. Care for his River Song, love her more than he had ever loved anything.

_After all,_ the Doctor thought for the millionth time, loving the sound of it, _she is my wife._


	2. Roots

**Here's chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who read/followed/favorited/commented so far, it really does mean a lot. This chapter is an earlier version of both of them, but it's still after TWORS. I had some trouble writing this chapter, so I hope it's okay. Enjoy!**

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2: Roots- One's background

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"So, where are we going?" River asked as she walked into the console room from the bedroom she and the Doctor shared.

"You have quite a lot of knowledge about Gallifrey," the Doctor responded as he put coordinates into the Tardis. "But you don't know much _firsthand._ You're part Time Lord, River. I want you too see things with your own eyes."

"Gallifrey is time locked. We can't go back."

"Gallifrey itself, sure, but that doesn't stop people from having knowledge of it. There's a Gallifrey Festival held every three hundred years on the planet Rowesia. I've always stayed away, thought it was best that way, but I want to take you. From what I've heard, it's all very accurate and detail oriented."

River was glad that he was taking her to something he knew she would enjoy. "Thank you, sweetie."

"It'll be fun."

She knew he meant it, saw the excitement on his face at showing her their heritage, their roots, but she also caught the hint of sadness in his eye. They were about to walk straight into what so resembled his homeland.

After giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek, the Doctor took River's hand and led her out of the Tardis and onto the new planet. Right away the couple saw the impact that the festival had on the land. There were streamers and signs announcing the event everywhere, many of them with some random Gallifreyan symbols that had nothing to do with the festival, indicating that the Doctor and River really _were_ the only two people who could read Gallifreyan; the planet was crowded with thousands of people, some researchers or professors and others merely tourists or enthusiasts. Most of them were wearing some kind of Gallifreyan clothing, including robes, gowns, and intricate headgear.

The Doctor, his hand entwined with his wife's only partly so that he didn't lose her in the crowd, walked over to a stand nearby. Telling her to wait there for a moment, he walked up to the stand and came back a moment later carrying two pieces of what appeared to be a cake.

"Here," he said, holding it up to River's mouth. "Try this, it's really good. Tastes just like it did at home."

"What is it?"

"Bluebell Cake, that's what we called it. It was made from a plant found only in the Bluebell forests, nowhere else in the universe."

She took a bite, only kind of trusting the Doctor's judgment. He did, after all, eat fish sticks with custard. As soon as she started chewing, however, her eyebrows shot up and her eyes got bright.

"This is good."

Told you you'd like it!" the Doctor exclaimed, looking pleased with himself. "What do you want to do next? Ooh, we should look at paintings!"

He pulled her over to an exhibit that had paintings of various different things. One painting was of a red planet, obviously Gallifrey. Another was of a deep red field covered in green flowers underneath an orange sky set with two suns.

"Nothing escaped the time lock," the Doctor explained. "No artifacts, no paintings. Nothing except for the things I owned, some of which they probably have here. Anyway, people had to create their own recreations and paintings from what they've read or heard about the planet. Some are quite precise while others don't even get close."

"Look, those are yours, sweetie," River pointed out, walking him over to yet another stand. This one read 'Real Gallifreyan Artifacts,' and the objects on the table were indeed his.

"Sonic reader, a book of alien species, early version of a failed sonic screwdriver. Those are definitely mine." The Doctor whispered the last bit so only River could hear.

The man running the exhibit stood up. "You seem to know quite a lot. What are your names?"

"Uh…"

"Mr. and Mrs. Song." River had answered for him. She knew that he didn't want anyone to know who he was, knew that no one here could find out that he was a Time Lord. She had used her quick wit to get them out of trouble once again, and he flashed her an appreciative smile.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Song, you should check out the stand about the Doctor. Some believe these artifacts belong to him, but I'm not so sure. They could have belonged to any Time Lord. But, if you want to know about the Doctor, I suggest visiting the stand," the man said.

"Will do, we're going right now," the Doctor answered, pulling River away. They walked right past the stand about him, and she understood why. He didn't want to know what they had to say about him, and besides, it might be dangerous if they recognized him. Holding hands, they walked instead to an isolated area of the festival. It was an archway with a plant she had never seen entwined through it.

"This is osterian seed, or a recreation of it, anyway. On Gallifrey, when you get married, you kiss under an osterian seed archway. That's the traditional way, but there weren't any archways in Egypt. I mean, this isn't _real_ osterian seed, but it will have to do. We haven't kissed under the osterian seed yet, Mrs. Song. Would you do me the honors? Only if you want to, that is." He was nervous, she could tell. He said his last sentence rather quickly and he'd looked at the ground.

River smiled. "Of course, sweetie."

He smiled back as he kissed her, wrapping his hand around her shoulders. If River was going to see Gallifreyan customs firsthand, she had to experience the traditional way to kiss at a wedding. Why hadn't he thought of this before?


	3. Girl Scout Cookies

3: Girl Scout Cookies- Highly anticipated cookies sold annually by the American scouting group the Girl Scouts, sort of like British Girl Guides. They currently come in 11 flavors, though thin mints are the most popular

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"Do you like thin mints, River?" the Doctor asked one day as he messed with random levers on the Tardis console.

"I prefer tagalongs." Tagalongs were deliciously crunchy peanut butter wafers covered in chocolate. River had always chosen them over the sharp mintiness of thin mints.

"Really? Well, fine, I suppose we can get a box of them, too. I've been having a weird craving for Girl Scout cookies lately, I can't figure out why…" He stopped, contemplating the reason for this.

River viewed it as her job to bring him back to reality. She raised her eyebrows, slightly amused. "Doctor."

Right, yes. Cookies. I figured we could get some. It's been a while since I've had them; few hundred years, I'd say. What do you think?"

"As long as I get to fly the Tardis," she answered, earning a glare from her Time Lord.

_"__I'm_ flying her; I always fly her. I do it better."

River gave him a look that said 'don't argue with me,' and he didn't know whether to be amused or scared. The look got increasingly more intense, however, and he decided to go with scared.

"How about we fly her together?" He was just so stubborn.

"Good enough."

As they pulled various levers and knobs together, the Doctor thought about how much he secretly enjoyed flying the Tardis along with his wife. Even if she could be very stubborn and slightly argumentative at times, it was still nice doing something as simple and domestic as flying their favorite ship.

When they landed, the Doctor took River's hand and headed for the doors. Before he could get there, he was stopped by the sound of his wife's voice scolding him.

"Sweetie," she said dryly and with internal amusement. "You forgot your money."

"Of course, dear," he answered, turning back around. "Just checking to make sure you're paying attention. It appears you are."

She rolled her eyes and they headed outside in search of their treat.

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The couple walked up to a stand of adolescent scouts set up outside a pet store.

"Can I help you?" one of the girls asked.

"Yes, we'll take one box of thin mints and one of tagalongs," the Doctor answered. "Oooh, River look, a pet shop! Do they sell sharks in there?"

"No, it's a fish store. You can't buy sharks." Another of the scouts said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?"

"Sharks aren't pets."

"Well, I've met loads of people with pet sharks. Actually-"

"Sweetie," River interrupted, trying as hard as she could to hold back her laughter. "Just pay for the cookies."

He opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it, doing what he was told instead.

"That'll be eight dollars," the first girl said, holding out her hand.

The Doctor fumbled as he gathered the money together, making it obvious that he had no clue what he was doing. "Um… Are the one dollar bills the ones with Ulysses S. Grant on them?"

On of the girls snorted, and an impatient River took the money from her extremely oblivious husband. "George Washington. And they have giant 'ones' on them."

She counted out eight dollars and paid the young girl scouts, grabbing her husband and walking quickly away before he could get another word in. The group of scouts all gaped and laughed as they left.

They strode back to the Tardis laughing hysterically.

"I really can't believe you sometimes," River said through her laughter.

"How was I supposed to know?"

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**A/N: Hey, guys! Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! Also, again, if anyone has any words they would like to add to the hat, just comment or PM me! Thanks!**


	4. Intimacy

**A/N: Hi guys! Chapter 4! I just wanted to give you all a hint at the next chapter's word. Here goes- it starts with an 'm' and it is an****adjective,****but I can't say any more. You know, spoilers. : )**

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4: Intimacy- A close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving relationship with another person or group; an act or expression serving as a token of familiarity, affection, or the like

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He had been staring at her for quite a while now. They were sitting in the Tardis living room, him sprawled across an armchair and her perched atop the stone in front of the fireplace, attempting to fix her life form detector. He had broken it. Again.

"Come sit with me." The Doctor detangled himself from the armchair, sitting in a normal position and patting his lap for her to come join him.

"I'm kind of busy fixing something _you_ broke for the second time."

"Oh, come on, River. We can fix it later, we have all of time at our fingertips. Come here," he said as he held out his arms with a smile.

"I suppose it can wait until later," she reasoned, sighing as she put down her detector and walked across the room.

Once he had his wife situated in his lap, the Doctor placed one hand around her waist and took her own hand with his other, smiling. It was a smile that showed, if it showed only one thing, his love for her. River found herself thinking of his other smiles that matched this one.

_Manhattan, right before he kissed her on the check, he smiled, as though his heart had just melted._

Because, looking at her right then, it had.

She looked again at the Doctor's present smile; you could practically _see_ the love on his face. His eyes looked directly into hers in a way that said he would do anything and everything for her. His hand grasped hers, communicating that he would never let it go. His other hand was placed around her waist protectively, as he would never let her fall. All this and more showed the Doctor's love for River, displayed the entirety of their relationship; but nothing showed it like his smile, the smile that could only be seen when he was with his wife.

He kissed her gently and she laid her head against his chest, both of them taking in the love that was present in the room.

_Intimacy._ When he tapped her on the nose; when he instinctively reached for her hand; when he flirted and teased playfully; when he showered her with kisses; when he reached out and held her just because he wanted to; when he looked at her hopelessly because he didn't know how to show her, to tell her how much he loved her. He didn't know that by doing all of these simple things, he already had.

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**Again, if anyone has any words to add to the hat, just comment or PM me, and you can do that at any point in the story. : )**


	5. Muddy

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry, I know this one took two weeks. It was giving me quite a lot of trouble, so I hope you like it. Also, I know it's kind of gross, but looking at this chapter's word, it kind of had to be. Enjoy, and feel free to review or PM me!

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5: Muddy- Full of or covered with mud

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"This," the Doctor exclaimed as he stepped out of the Tardis with River in tow, "is a mud planet."

"Yes, it is," River breathed as she looked around her.

The planet was covered in black grass that seemed normal except for its color. In various spots throughout the grass, and the entire world, the Doctor had explained, were pools and lakes of mud. Every source of liquid on the planet was mud.

"All of the inhabitants drink mud," he clarified. "They need it like humans need water. They're not the most pleasant creatures, seeing as they bathe in mud… Anyway, come along!"

He took her hand and led the way to a nearby mud lake.

"What do you think? Interesting, huh?" he asked.

"I'd love to go for a swim."

"Really?"

"No."

"Oh."

She laughed and the Doctor started reciting everything he knew about the plane and the various species living on it. It got quite boring after the first twenty-five minutes, and a mischievous smirk began to spread across River's face as an idea struck her.

"Sweetie?" she interrupted, feigning innocence.

"Honey, I was talking, you knew that." She loved when he got irritated.

"Swimming in that-" she pointed at the lake, "-is it… safe?"

"Safe? Well, yes, of course. It's only mud. Why?"

The smirk returning to her face, River grabbed the Doctor by the shoulders and pushed him directly into the lake. He fell back gasping into the thick mud. When he resurfaced, standing in mud all the way up to his shoulders, he was completely covered in it. His hair was matted down and his clothes were soaked.

"River!" he said, not knowing how to react. Should he be exasperated or should he laugh? "I like this bow tie! You know how they do when they get dirty."

"Oh, shut up. I'll buy you a new one. Maybe it won't be as ridiculous."

"Bow ties are cool, thank you very much." He straightened it under the mud.

She started laughing, and it was then that he reached up and grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her in with him. As her head came up from the mud she looked as though she might slap him. Instead, she muttered "I hate you."

"No you don't," he replied, giving her a wink and his biggest smile. "Well then. Now that we're both covered in this filth we might as well go for that swim."

River gave him a look and splashed him. The Doctor splashed back and soon they were both laughing and playing in the mud. He kissed her gently, splashing mud in her hair as he did.

She pulled away immediately. _"Oh,_ I hate you!"

"No you don't!"


	6. Recipient

**A/N: Hey, guys! I know this one is extremely short, and I'm sorry! This one takes place when River is still prison, but after TWORS. More coming soon! Enjoy!**

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6: Recipient- One that receives; receiver

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"Your mail, Doctor Song."

River looked up. A prison guard was standing in front of her cell holding out an intricate package. She rarely got any packages, let alone mail in general. When one is in prison for murdering the most loved being in the universe, not many people send you things. She got up and retrieved her package, walking back over to her bed. She sat down and stared at what appeared to be a gift. It was meticulously wrapped in paper a shade of blue so familiar she didn't even have to think twice. There was a blue bow tie used as a ribbon to finish it off. For the Doctor, she thought, the whole package was very ornate.

She opened the box; the inside was lined with light blue tissue paper, and there was a small note card resting on top. Picking it up, River read the message.

_To the recipient of my heart. _

She smiled, laid the note aside, and removed the layer of tissue paper. Underneath she found two things. First she took out a glass model of the Tardis, big enough to keep on her bedside table. It was beautiful, and it looked just like the ship she considered home. Once she had placed her Tardis exactly where she wanted it, she picked up her second gift: a gorgeous red dress that described her personality to a tee. Flirtatious and adventurous yet loving and responsible enough. Under the dress was a second note.

_It reminded me of you. I'll pick you up at seven. X._

She smiled, set the bow tie aside for him, picked up her dress, and ran to get ready. It was 4:00 now, leaving her with three hours before her Doctor would arrive to pick her up.

"That should be enough time."


	7. Façade

**A/N: Wow, two updates in one day! I was having fun with this word, I got really into it. This one is set directly after TATM. Reviews are always and completely appreciated. Also, as a side note, this is a word my friend gave me. Enjoy!**

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7: Façade- A false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect

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"River." The Doctor and River were sitting in the Tardis living room after he had finished reading Amy's afterward in Manhattan. It had been an exhausting day, both physically and emotionally, but he needed to address something important with his wife. "Why do you always have some sort of façade?"

She looked over at him for a long moment before looking away. "I don't know what you mean."

"River, please. Just… _please._ Tell me. I know you more than anyone, and I know that you know what I'm talking about. Tell me, please. Do this for me."

She sighed and thought for a while before talking. When she did talk, her voice was quiet, low, and uncharacteristically her. "I don't want to see you hurt."

"River… Why would I be hurt by you?"

She sighed again, slowly, wishing she was anywhere else but right there having that particular conversation. "Not _by_ me, just…" She trailed off.

"'Hide the damage.' Why?"

"Because you know that I'm human, and even if I'm part Time Lord, that doesn't make me invincible." Her tone was cross, and she quickly looked away after realizing it.

There was a pause.

"I don't understand," he said, almost desperately.

"No, you don't," she replied, gently this time.

The Doctor stood and walked to where she was sitting, kneeling in front of her. He took both of her hands in his. "Then help me. Explain to me what I don't get."

She stared at him for a time, contemplating whether or not she should go on. Finally, she spoke, putting emphasis on each and every word. "There will come a time- it may a few hundred years from now and it may be next week, we won't know- when I will be gone. I'll be gone both in my timeline and in yours. And you _know_ that. It's obvious enough; it's the same with every companion. But… with me it's different. We're _married,_ I'm not just anyone to you. When we're together, and something happens, or almost happens, it reminds you that one day I'll just cease to exist in this universe, and you won't see me. And it scares you half to death."

He knew what she was talking about more than she could imagine.

"River-"

"Don't deny it, I know it's true. I know you more than anyone; that's the same thing you said about me. I know that it scares you, and I don't want it to. I don't want to do something and have you worry about me. I don't want you to get hurt because I'm hurt… I don't want anyone to think they have to watch over me and look over my shoulder all the time in case I get myself into trouble, I don't want anyone to think I can't fend for myself. I'll go when I go, I'll die when I die. It's going to happen one day, and I know that, I accept that. So what's the point in being careful? Things are going to happen sometimes, they always do. I just don't want to have anyone worry about me. Because I know what I'm doing, I'm a big girl. I don't want to scare you, or make you keep me at a distance so you don't get hurt. So that I don't get hurt."

"River… I would never do that. You know that, you know me. That's not me."

_"Don't_ tell me that you're not scared of something happening."

"Of course I'm scared of something happening to you; you're my wife, you're everything I am. What would I do with myself if I didn't have you?"

"Exactly. This is why. This is why I hide the damage." She made to get up, but he pulled her back down, cupping her face in hands so she couldn't look away from him. Before he could speak, she continued. "You would go on. Promise me that when I'm gone you'll go on, you'll find someone to show you the universe."

"River Song. Melody Pond. Always. I will always do as you ask me. But for now… I have you. Always and completely will I have you, you will _never_ go away. Not completely. And I will always be protective because you are my wife, and I… I love you. I don't want to see you hurt, like you don't want to see me hurt. Promise me that there will be no more façades. Promise you'll be honest with me."

"If you promise to do the same, my love."

"For you… I could do anything." He pulled her close and hugged her, closing his eyes.

"I promise you my world."


	8. Journey

**A/N: Wow, this one gave me some grief! The chapter in general wasn't the problem, it was where to have them go! I hope it's okay! This takes place directly after chapter 6, Recipient. It's that night. I got the idea for this chapter from Wholockedanglophile, who suggested that I do a continuation of chapter 6. Enjoy! : )**

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8: Journey- A traveling from one place to another, usually taking a long time; a trip; a period of travel

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"Hi, honey, I'm home," the Doctor exclaimed as he stepped out of the Tardis and into wife's prison cell.

"And what sort of time do you call this?" came the familiar response.

The Doctor stared as River stepped forward, a smile on her face. He had better style skills than everyone thought. She was wearing the dress he'd sent her, and she looked absolutely stunning. More so than usual, that is.

"It is 7:00, isn't it? Just like I wrote in the note?"

"You overshot your target again, sweetie. It's 7:30."

Well that's not too bad! I could have shown up next week." He walked toward River. "So how has my lovely wife been?"

"Oh, you know, like usual. I broke out yesterday to go shopping. Found some really wonderful shoes, actually. Thank you for the gift, by the way," she said, placing her arms around his neck.

"You're very welcome. Anything for you, dear! You look beautiful."

"I do like color. Red brings out my hair. Which reminds me, I have a bow tie for you."

She walked over to her bedside table and retrieved the blue makeshift ribbon from her package.

"Oh, that's right! I'd nearly forgotten I'd given you that."

River walked back over and slowly replaced his bow tie with the blue one, prolonging the action; she knew she was driving him crazy in that dress. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to send me a red bowtie? It would have matched my outfit better."

"Matching isn't cool." She muttered something back about how _he_ has never been cool either, but he was too busy staring down at her to notice.

"There we are," she said, leaning back and straightening his bow tie. "Ready to go."

"Can't I have a kiss?" he flirted.

"You don't have to _ask,_ sweetie, but of course."

* * *

"So what do you think?" the Doctor asked quietly as they walked toward the Eiffel Tower. He had taken her to a fancy high class restaurant in Paris right near the famous monument. They'd quietly talked and flirted all throughout dinner, and so far it all had seemed very romantic, which was exactly what he'd aimed for.

"I think this is wonderful," River replied.

He smiled and reached for her hand. "So I did a good job?"

"You always do," she said as she straightened his bowtie.

They stopped when they reached the second floor of the Tower, the Doctor leading the way to the railing. The couple looked out at the blue night sky, the river, and the buildings lit up like stars.

"You've never taken me here before. I've never been," River said in awe. "It's gorgeous."

_"__You're_ gorgeous," he whispered in her ear, placing his arm around her waist. She kissed him suddenly, and they stood together looking off the Eiffel Tower for hours.

When they decided it was getting late, they made their way back down to the Tardis. Once they reached their location, however, they discovered a problem.

"Sweetie… Where is the Tardis?" River asked, turning to face him.

"We parked her right here, she… she should be here."

"Well, she's not."

"She was when we left!"

"Yes, I know _that,_ I was there for that bit! She must have moved."

"I don't see why. And, where?" the Doctor said as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and soniced the area where the ship had been. "There's still time energy here. I should be able to use that to track where she is. This shouldn't take long."

River sat down on a step, chin resting on her hand, and looked at her husband. Sure enough, a few minutes later she heard his exclamation of "Aha!" and saw him reading the results.

"Let's see here… Oh." She could tell by his tone that it wasn't good. "We may have a slight predicament."

"Please tell me we're not stranded here."

"Um… The Tardis is in Alaska."

"That is more than a_ slight_ predicament! Are you sure you read the data right? You should have had me do it. Let me see." He handed her the screwdriver and she read the results, confirming what he had said. "Great."

"You wouldn't happen to have you vortex manipulator, would you, dear?" He tried to be careful with his wording. This could go one of two ways: she would either be really angry with him or she would laugh.

"I left it in the Tardis." So it was somewhere in between the two.

"Well then, I suppose we'll have to do this the long way. We'll stay in a hotel tonight and take a flight to North America the day after tomorrow."

"And then trek across Alaska to find the Tardis."

"Yep! It'll be fun, almost like a vacation. Now, let's get to a hotel. We have a long journey ahead of us."

Hand in hand, they walked to the nearest hotel, glad to have the extra time together and even more glad that the Tardis hadn't moved to another time period.


	9. Song

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the latest update! This one is farther along in both of their timestreams, presumably after TATM, but it's nowhere near the end. At all. Like, they are ****_far from_**** the end. :) There is a slight nod to something that was said in the minisode "Last Night," but you don't need to have seen it to understand. Also, sorry, I know it's a bit shorte. Just think of it as a funsized chapter. :) Hope you enjoy!**

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9: Song- A usually relatively short musical composition consisting of words set to music and the music itself; the art or practice of singing

* * *

The couple had just gotten back from another adventure on another alien planet, just another normal day. River had saved the day, and they were just piling into the Tardis when the Doctor started talking.

"You did it, River," he said, laughing proudly. "You saved the entire planet!"

"I know, I was there," she answered teasingly as she circled the Doctor. "I couldn't have done it without your help, of course."

"You become like a god to them. You're their hero." He kissed her on the cheek. "They'll be singing of River Song for ages on that planet."

"That reminds me, I was doing a bit of reading last week, and did you know that there is a planet called Darillium with towers that _sing?_ Apparently they're glorious."

The Doctor froze where he was standing in the console room, his smile slowly fading. Darillium? But that can't be now, they're both so young. As young as they could be considered, that is. Is this when she starts asking? A sudden cold fear shot through him when he remembered something she'd said.

Her first night in Stormcage, when three Rivers showed up in the Tardis. The third was on the night of Darillium with a different version of himself. _'He's been promising for ages.'_

He looked over at her; she appeared so excited at the prospect of singing towers. He couldn't let her see his fear, see that he was upset. Never let her see the damage. He couldn't even if he wanted to: _spoilers._

"Really?" He tried his best to seem curious.

"Yep! All the books say they're mesmerizing."

"Well I'm sure they're not as mesmerizing as you, Professor Song."

"Mmm."

He stood calmly looking at the console as if deep in thought. In reality, he was frantic, trying as quickly as possible to think of something to say next.

"Can we go?" she asked.

"Um…" He decided on improvising. Improvising is good. "Maybe another time. I have somewhere I've been wanting to show you for a while now."

"Well, okay, I suppose the Towers aren't going anywhere. Can we go at some point?"

"Of course we can. Anything for you, honey!"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He hoped to Rassilon's Gallifrey that she didn't catch the dryness in his voice or the slight hint of terror hidden deep within it.


	10. Splatter Paint

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry, I know the definition isn't great. I had trouble finding one online so I made up my own. I'm not so sure about this chapter, but the next one will be better. Enjoy! : )

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10: Splatter Paint- In the form used here, basically when you take a paint brush and flick it repetitively to make paint splash randomly on a surface

* * *

"River, come here," the Doctor said with a cross between a grin and a frown. They had parked the Tardis in the middle of an abandoned forest clearing and had set up canvases and paintbrushes to paint. It had been his idea, as he thought it would be "fun and relaxing." The area around them was lush with trees, bushes, and various insects, the sky a light and airy blue. The two had set up their canvases with their backs to each other so they could each paint a different part of the scenery surrounding them.

She turned to him and laughed loudly, not bothering to stifle her laughter. "What _is_ that?"

"What do you mean? It's just what I said I was going to paint: those trees right there and the sky above them. I think it looks exactly like it."

She laughed again. "Are you sure you're not colorblind?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that trees are brown and green, sweetie, not blue and purple."

"It looks brilliant."

"Just promise me one thing. Don't quit your day job."

"That's extremely rude, River Song!"

"I know," she said with a smirk.

"Well, let's look at yours, then, shall we?" They turned to look at River's canvas and the Doctor groaned when he saw her perfectly painted trees and wildlife. "That's not fair!"

"It's perfectly fair."

"Humph." He plopped down on the grass and glared up at her like a small child who was put on time out.

"Okay, how about something new?" She retrieved a new canvas, this one quite large, and leaned it against the nearest tree. "How about we try splatter painting?"

"Splatter painting? What sort of insane activity is that?"

"Yeah, because you're one to talk about insane activities," she teased and rolled her eyes. Before he could reply, she went on. "First you dip your paintbrush in paint. Then you hold it from the middle and put your fingers on the very end of the brush; you pull it up and then let go quickly. Like this," River explained as paint droplets hit the canvas.

"Oh, I get it! _Splatter_ paint! Because it splatters across the canvas! Humans are so creative. So I just flick my brush around?"

"Close enough. And you do it in all different colors. Now try it with me."

They spent the next hour and a half splatter painting, the Doctor making excited exclamations when he did it correctly and both of them laughing until it hurt. He decided that as soon their masterpiece finished drying, he would hang it right in the console room. He also decided that he wouldn't tell River about the paint he somehow managed to get in her hair.


	11. Statues

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the week and a half wait, time went by really fast. This one takes place before TATM, when River is still in prison. Also, I knew what everyone would be expecting with this word, so I figured I might as well. Enjoy!

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11: Statues- A wooden, **stone**, metal, plaster, or other kind of sculpture of a human or animal figure, usually life-size or larger

* * *

"Hello, sweetie," River stepped into the TARDIS. The Doctor had picked her up from Stormcage and she had entered the ship she considered home before he had a chance to step out.

"Hello, Doctor Song." He stepped out from where he had been standing behind the console and leaned up against the front of it. "And how are we doing on this fine day?"

"Quite well, actually. I've been waiting for you," she said as she gave him a kiss.

"And I've been waiting to pick you up. Do you remember when we went to the planet Ploratus?"

"And saved the inhabitants from giant leeches? How could I forget?" she laughed. That had been a memorable day, for sure. Giant leeches, two-headed people, and an endless amount of running.

"Leeches are definitely _not_ cool," he exclaimed as he pulled a face.

"You learned that the hard way." River smirked.

The Doctor shuddered before he continued talking and pulling levers on the console. "Well we're going back there. Hundreds of years in its future, of course. They've made statues of us. Actual statues of _us,_ River! It's been a while since anyone's made a statue of me; I'd forgotten what it felt like."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Off we go, then!"

They walked out of the TARDIS, stopping when they reached a deserted plaza. In the center of the square were two statues standing arm in arm, each a stone look-alike of the person standing in front of them.

"They made my nose too big," the Doctor said as he gauged the size of his nose with his hand. "I look like Rory!"

"Oh, sweetie, your nose is normally that size," she teased.

"No!" He frantically checked the size of his nose again as he tried to imagine the nose of his father-in-law. "My nose is not that big, River!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Oh, how she loved to tease him.

"Well, I'll just ask someone-" The Doctor's sentence was cut off as he looked around him, realizing that everyone was gone. "-here…"

"Where is everyone?"

"I don't know," he said, intrigued and more than a bit worried. Suddenly, he perked up. "I'm sure it's just a Sunday; Sundays are boring, River, never travel on a Sunday."

"Funny, though, I was so sure you'd set the TARDIS for a Wednesday."

"So was I."

The pair turned back around and immediately jumped back, the Doctor instinctively and protectively reaching for his wife's hand.

"No no no no no! It didn't! River, we need to leave right now! Keep your eyes on them!"

"We can't leave, you know that! There's no one around, think about what could have happened. We need to stay and sort this out."

He gave a frightened groan. He knew she was right; she was always right. They needed to stay because those statues had definitely moved. They were still far enough away that they couldn't touch the couple, but that could all change in a matter of seconds.

"Well this is different," he said as he tried to figure out a plan. "We've been taken over by Weeping Angels. I've never had to defeat myself before. Obviously of all the statues on the planet, they had to choose the ones of us!"

"This is Ploratus, they don't usually have statues, it's not in their culture. These are the only ones here. Count that as a blessing."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the Angels, reading the results as River looked at the statues. He gave a nervous laugh.

"What? I know that laugh, and that is definitely not good."

"No, it is definitely not. According to the sonic the Angels have only been here for a little while, a month at most, and…" He gulped.

"And _what?"_

"And they've already sent everyone on the planet back in time."

At that, River turned her head to look at him in shock. Luckily, he hadn't taken his eyes off the scene in front of them. "No. They couldn't have. There are only two of them; there were millions of people here and the Angles were only here for a month! How could they have done that?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. They're strong, really, really strong."

"But why are they still here? If they've taken the time energy from everyone on the planet, there's no one left. Why don't they just leave? That's what the normally do."

"I don't know, but we have to take turns blinking. They must have been waiting for something."

"Or some_one."_

"But why? All they care about is time energy, Weeping Angels wouldn't go after one person in particular. It's not their way of doing things."

"Exactly. All they care about is time energy. Think about that for a minute," she said, watching as his expression went from one of confusion to one of frightened understanding. "If they can get enough energy, they won't need to feed for a very long while. Who's the one person in the universe that has the most time energy surrounding them?"

"They're after me." His voice was quiet. "But how would they have known that I would come here?"

"It's a statue of you, right smack next to a statue of your wife. They must have figured you'd show up at some point."

"Oh… It's my fault. Millions of people, millions of lives… It's all my fault."

"Don't say that. You can't focus on that right now. _Think._ How can we get rid of them?"

At her request, he snapped back to his normal self, thinking aloud. "It's very hard to get rid of a Weeping Angel, but certainly not impossible. We could make them look at each other, freeze them into seemingly normal statues."

"But that won't get everyone back."

"River, nothing will bring everyone back, they're already gone and there's nothing we can do."

"Stop saying that! This isn't the Doctor, the Doctor isn't like this! If we do something _different,_ it could very well bring them back. A paradox or something."

"I don't like paradoxes."

"We got _married_ within a paradox!"

"Except for that paradox, dear, that's the exception!"

"I'm sure" she said sarcastically.

He looked at her at the same moment she looked at him, neither realizing what they were doing. The Doctor yelled out and they both turned quickly back to the statues, which had moved a considerable amount closer, their hands reaching out to grab their victims.

"Okay, um um um, back to the TARDIS!" he yelled.

"We can't just leave!"

"We won't, I promise! I'm figuring out a plan."

They slowly backed away, each being careful to blink only when the other was looking at the pair of Angels. When they reached the TARDIS the Doctor snapped his fingers and backed inside. "Come on!"

"If we both go in there the Angels will surround the TARDIS; when you move they'll be frozen and there will be no chance of bringing back those people."

"River, _River- _please, come on!"

"You go without me. I know your plan. You're going back in time one month and take care of this before it began. It'll create a paradox but not a bad one; nothing will change except for the Angels not being here. If they were never here, the planet's inhabitants were never sent back in time. Time won't be messed up because no one died, they were only sent back. The thing is, it'll only work if one of us stays. Go."

"River, I'm not leaving without you!"

"The worst they can do is send me back in time, and that'll be fixed once you create the paradox."

"And if they snap your neck and kill you like they did to Bob at the Byzantium?"

"I can take care of myself it's alright."

"I can't leave you, you're my _wife!_

"They're just Weeping Angels."

"_Just _Weeping Angels? There is no such thing as _just_ Weeping Angels._"_

"You go or I will tell the TARDIS to leave with you in it."

"You can't do that!"

"I'm the child of the TARDIS, I can do a lot more than you think."

The Doctor groaned in frustration. He didn't want to leave her alone here, not with two Weeping Angels about. Anything could happen and it would be entirely his fault.

"Either we both stand here and not get anything done until we blink at the wrong time," she said, "or you go and we take care of this together."

"How is me taking care of it alone being together?!"

"Together while separate. It's called marriage. Get used to it."

He sighed. "Fine. But when I come back you'd better be here!"

"Always."

"Wish me luck."

"Good luck, sweetie."

"Don't get yourself killed." He smiled and closed the TARDIS doors. The whole conversation had been carried out without them looking at each other. He had been standing in the doors of his ship and she had been standing a few feet in front of him, staring at the Angels. When she heard the familiar 'vworp,' she walked forward a few feet towards the statues, closing one eye at a time. Before she knew it both Angels were coming towards her and she realized how lucky Ploratans are to have two heads, for they could stare at two things at once. River began to quickly back away when she tripped over a fallen tree branch, landing hard on the ground and squeezing her eyes shut. Right when she expected to be zapped by the Angels, she heard a crack and a kind voice.

"Would you like some help, Miss?"

River opened her eyes to see a young two-headed man standing over her, his hand outstretched. "He did it!"

"I'm sorry? Who did what?" She took the man's hand and he pulled her back to her feet. As she looked around she saw hundreds of people walking around and going about their daily business. They acted as if nothing strange had happened, save for her lying on the ground.

"Those statues-" She looked to where the Angels had been and laughed. There was nothing.

"We don't have statues on Ploratus," he said with both of his mouths. "We used to have two, but someone vandalized them about a month ago. We all woke up in the morning and they were in bits on the ground. Probably a bunch of teenagers, you know how kids can be. In fact, you kind of look like one of the statues."

"Do I?"

"Exactly like it." He looked her up and down, staring at her one head like it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. "Must be a coincidence. Anyway, I have to get going, important work meeting about to start. Nice meeting you!"

She waved as he ran out of sight. The next thing she knew, the Doctor had wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the top of her head. "Hi, honey, I'm home."

"And what sort of time do you call this?" She smiled. She had known he could do it.

"Not back in time, thankfully. Everyone is back in the present where they're meant to be."

"Did you miss me?"

"I always miss you, my dear. How does tea sound?"

"Tea sounds wonderful."

He took her hand and led her back to the TARDIS. "I'm going to make sure no one makes a statue of me ever again. There is no way I am putting up with a Rory nose."

She laughed and resumed teasing him about his nose, making him believe it really was nearly as big as Rory's. Besides, what would an adventure be like without a little teasing?


	12. Hate

**A/N: Hey guys! This one took me a few hours, but I wanted to update sooner because you had to wait longer last time. River is a little bit ahead of the Doctor in this chapter, but they're pretty much the same. I had originally wanted them to have a conversation about Madame Kovarian, but I just wasn't feeling it. So this came about! Also, when I mention football, I mean British football, so American soccer. I'm not too sure about this one, so I hope it isn't too... domestic for the Doctor. Let me know what you think! Also, I'm still accepting words for the hat if anyone wants to add any! Enjoy! : )**

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12: Hate- To dislike something or somebody intensely, often in a way that evokes feelings of anger, hostility, or animosity; a feeling of intense hostility towards something or somebody

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"I didn't mean to!" the Doctor said as calmly as he could.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" River yelled back.

They were stood in the TARDIS control room, arguing quite loudly. It had all started about half an hour before when the Doctor had said something he probably _shouldn't_ have about the man in the grocery store, and River was more than a little upset.

"I can't believe you would even think I'd sink to that level! I'm _married!"_

"I've had a long week, I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, well I've had a long week, too, and sometimes sorry doesn't cut it!" she said. "You can't just go around saying things you have no proof about and then expect everything to be perfectly fine when you apologize. There comes a point when you don't mean it anymore."

"I didn't mean to, it just slipped out."

"Well MAYBE you should work on that!"

_"I'm trying!"_ he screamed, almost maniacally. "Don't you think I know I need to work on things? I know what I need to do with myself, thanks! I'm sorry if I said something about some random stranger that you didn't like, but he shouldn't have been doing that and I don't regret what I said!"

"Exactly! Don't apologize to me if you don't mean it! It doesn't matter what he did, that doesn't give you any excuse to say what you said!"

"He was hitting on my wife! Did you not _see_ the guy? He looked very comfortable with it too, especially with me standing right behind you!"

"That doesn't mean I've met him! Do you really think I would I would do that? You know me better than this!"

"It sure doesn't look like it!"

"Oh, I can't _believe_ you! Would you prefer it if I just leave and meet up with that guy?"

"Go ahead! What do I care?!"

"I don't cheat!"

**"**I KNOW THAT!" He was yelling louder than he can remember yelling in a long time, and there was a threatening look in his eyes.

"Obviously not!"

"Don't go telling me what I know and don't know! You know _nothing_ about me."

"Oh, I see! I see how it is! Maybe I'll just leave! See how you like that!" she said as she turned and began storming up the stairs and deeper into the TARDIS.

"River!"

_"Oh_, I hate you!" She walked away without turning to look at him, her footsteps heavy. After a few moments, he heard a door slam.

"River!" the Doctor yelled in frustration, more to himself than to her. He stomped his foot, turned around, and walked out of the TARDIS with his jaw set.

* * *

A few hours later the Time Lord returned, leaning up against the door of his ship and sighing. He knew he shouldn't have said what he'd said, not just in the grocery store but throughout the entire argument. It was an accident, he hadn't wanted to argue at all, and he was surprised by how quickly things had escalated. He couldn't remember yelling like that in a long while, especially to someone he cared so much about. It scared him a bit, the reality of the situation. He had let himself get so angry that he lost control of his emotions, screaming at River when he should have been able to calm himself down and deal with it maturely, like a proper 1000+ year old should.

He was lucky she hadn't left. She very well could have, they were only ten feet from the door. Instead, she had gone the opposite direction entirely, probably to their bedroom or the library. He had gone out, not sure what else to do. He needed to do something to calm down, and if she was back in the TARDIS, he had figured he might as well just leave for a few hours. For lack of anywhere better to disappear to, he had gone to an old football field and kicked the round ball around for a while, seeing how many times he could get it in the goal. When the sun had started going down, he finally returned home.

One line from their argument had stuck with him all day. _Oh, I hate you!_ He was used to hearing it, of course; she said it all the time. But it was different then. It was always teasingly or out of frustration. This time it was out of anger, and that scared him. Did she really hate him? He knew she couldn't really, but somewhere deep down, did she at least hate him a little? It was his fault her childhood had gotten messed up. He wouldn't blame her if she hated him a little bit.

Sighing again, he walked slowly back to their bedroom, wanting to do nothing but take off his shoes and sit for a while. When he got there, he found River sitting in bed with a book, reading silently. She'd looked up when he entered the room and gave him a small smile. "Hello."

The Doctor just looked at her for a few moments, not entirely sure how to react. "Hello."

"How was your outing?"

"My… Oh, that. Yeah. It was, uh… nice. Very outing-ish."

She tried her hardest not to smile. "Where did you go?"

"To play some football. You know, always nice to practice," he said as he untied his shoes. "And how's your book?"

"Very good, actually."

He sat down next to her on the bed, confused at the small talk. "River… Do you hate me?"

She sighed and bit her lip. "Of course not. How could I hate you?"

"It's just that… Well I argued with you."

With that she actually did smile. "Every couple argues, sweetie. It's going to happen sometimes, it's a part of marriage, a part of life."

"But we've never argued like _that_ before." He looked like a small child that knew he had done something wrong and felt very guilty about it.

"We will again, trust me," she said with her oh so familiar 'spoilers' look.

"I don't like it very much."

"Neither do I, but no one ever does.

There was a pause as they both thought. "I'm sorry, River. I shouldn't have said what I said and I shouldn't have argued with you."

"There you go. See, it wasn't that hard!" She teased, laughing when he looked at her weird. "I'm sorry too. And I could never, ever hate you."

He smiled and hugged her tightly, thankful that she was no longer angry with him.

"Except sometimes, when you tease me." They both laughed.


	13. Temptation

**A/N: Wow, two in one day! I know this one is kind of weird, I wasn't sure what to do. : ) Enjoy!**

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13: Temptation- A desire or craving for something; the incitement of desire or craving in somebody

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The Doctor had been traveling alone, just a small adventure while everyone else was out or busy, when he decided to go for tea. Parking the TARDIS across the street, he sauntered into his favorite tea shop, located on Earth. He stood in line and waited for his turn to order. The wait wasn't long, as it was a Thursday afternoon, and he ordered his usual beverage.

"Just you today, Doctor? No friend?" the waitress, Lynda, asked. She was a short but sweet and pretty blonde girl that always worked on Thursdays. As he always went there on a Thursday, it was always Lynda that served him, and he had gotten on a first name basis with her over the many drinks he had ordered.

"Just me. Everyone was busy. You know how Thursday afternoons can be."

She smiled. She always enjoyed when the mysterious man stopped in. It gave her something to speculate and think about, and he always had a way of making her smile. He was such an odd man, always coming in with a different person. She'd seen friends of all varieties and personalities, and she'd come to think of the Doctor as The Man with Many Friends. She was starting to think he might know everyone in England.

"Lynda," the Doctor said thoughtfully, staring at something in the pastry case next to the counter. Hopefully there wasn't something atomically wrong with the cakes like the last time. "What do you think of those chocolate cookies?"

Okay, so everything was atomically okay. Thank goodness for that. "Oh, they're wonderful. Whenever I come in for work I have to go out of my way to not look at them." She leaned across the counter and whispered to him, "They're my temptation."

"You're temptation? Are they that good?"

"Better."

He contemplated the cookies for a few moments but was interrupted from making his decision by the sound of the waitress talking. "What's your temptation, Doctor?"

"My… temptation?" he asked, wrinkling his nose confusedly.

"Yes. Everyone has a temptation. Things like sweets and music and sports. So what's yours?"

The Doctor paused to think. He'd never thought of that before, was always too busy running around having adventures for something so simple to cross his mind. "Well… I suppose mine would be River."

"Rivers are quite nice, I've always liked to listen to them," she said, mistaking his meaning.

"Me too. I've got one at home, actually."

"Really? Which one? How close is it?"

"Song. And she's very close, always has been. Sometimes I think she's farther away than she actually is. She talks a good deal, but so do I, so I suppose I'm not one to judge."

Lynda had never heard anyone call a river 'she' before, and she'd also never heard of the river Song. Then again, she'd never met a man quite like the Doctor. Little did she know they were talking about two entirely different things. "So… it's your temptation, then, yeah? I've never heard anyone give that answer before, that's interesting."

"Oh yeah. She makes me want to buy flowers or take out her dancing or something." He smiled, thinking of his wife.

All the while Lynda had been looking at him like he had sprouted another head. Dancing with a river? Flowers? Was she missing something? Because this _was _the Doctor she was talking to, she decided it would be better not to ask.

"Add one of those cookies to my order, please, Lynda," he said happily, reminded of his River.

"Will do. Just give me a sec." She ducked below the counter to take a cookie from the display case and place it on a plate with his tea. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" He handed her a bunched up wad of money, not bothering to count it out, and walked over to a table to enjoy his snack and decide what kind of flowers to get for River.


	14. Heart

A/N: Sorry, I know it's short! Because of that, I'm going to give you all a hint at the next chapter's word, which I picked out of the hat about 50 seconds ago. It's starts with an "f." More coming soon! Enjoy!

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14: Heart- a hollow muscular organ that pumps blood around the body; the source and center of emotional life, where the deepest and sincerest feelings are located and a person is most vulnerable to pain

* * *

Every time she smiled at him his hearts felt weird… It was this strange sensation he couldn't put a name to. It was sort of like they were… swelling. And then, at the same time, like they were melting. It was very new to the Doctor. He had always thought that nothing could swell and melt simultaneously. It just defies science. This was one of those things that shouldn't work, shouldn't make the least bit of sense, yet it does. It just _does, _there isn't an explanation for it.

Well, if he had to explain it, he would say her. River. _His _River. His hearts did that weird thing just thinking about her name. River. A gorgeous name for a gorgeous woman.

He looked across the room and saw her smile at him again. It was her normal smile, and, like usual, he felt his hearts do their swelling melting magic. It was just so _weird._ If there's one thing the Doctor doesn't know about, it's this. He'll have to look it up later. He already had in mind just the wording he'd use: 'the swelling melting sensation caused by looking at someone you love.'

Yep. That should do.


	15. Foolishness

A/N: So this is based off of what happened to me while I was writing this chapter. I'll have to save my original idea. I've been saving it for a while now. : ) Enjoy!

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15: Foolishness- showing or resulting from a lack of good sense or judgment; feeling or appearing ridiculous; embarrassed, unsure about the appropriateness of one's actions or speech

* * *

"Doctor, what are you doing?" River asked, alarmed, her hand on her gun holster, ready to withdraw her weapon if needed. She had come running when she'd heard the Doctor loudly yell, sounding angry.

"I _hate_ technology!" he said, putting emphasis on each word. She could see the anger and frustration in his eyes as he sat in the console room with a laptop on his knees.

"Why are you on a computer?"

"I thought it would be fun to type something up." He waved his hand, dismissing it. "I got really into it when it starting updating. UPDATING! In the middle of my work! And I went back to it afterwards and it wasn't there! Just the first line I'd typed! I had _pages_ before! It's gone!"

River tried her hardest to hold back a smile. She talked to him as though he were a young child. "Did you save your work, dear?"

"Save… Save my work?" He asked, gulping.

"Yes." She dragged out the word. "The save button. The one that makes sure your work doesn't disappear. You are so foolish."

"Don't look at me like that!" he snapped. "How was I supposed to know there's a save button? A good piece of equipment should be able to save stuff on its own."

"That's a twenty-first century computer, learn to deal with it."

He sighed, irritated. "Well I'm not restarting now. It took too long and I'm too annoyed at this thing."

"What were you typing?"

"A remake of the dictionary. I was all the way at 'Q!'"

She paused. _"Why?"_

"I was bored! It's a Sunday, River, never travel on a Sunday."

"Okay then, I have an idea."

He looked up at her, hopeful. "Yeah?"

"How about we put the TARDIS into obit around Earth and throw your laptop down to the planet from all the way up in space?"

"But… It'll never survive, that'll kill it!"

"Exactly."

"Oooohh, River Song, I like you."

"You do."

"Killing a laptop? You are so bad. Okay, let's do it!"

Off they went, preparing to carry out their plans, the Doctor excited to be doing something "bad" for once.


	16. Arrow

16: Arrow- missile shot from a bow; a long thin missile pointed at one end and usually with feathers at the other, fired from a bow

* * *

The Doctor yelled out in surprise when a group of arrows shot past his head as he ran. He grabbed River's hand and continued running.

_"Maybe _they wouldn't be after us if it weren't for you!" River said, trying to catch her breath.

"It's not my fault!"

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't blown up their moon!"

"I didn't mean to! And I put it back together," he replied, in complete denial that any of this was his fault.

"Yeah, with duct tape!"

"At least it still works. They should be thanking me," he huffed as they ducked under another bunch of arrows.

River stole a glance behind her, realizing a bit late that it was a very bad idea. There were three dozen bright red four-eyed aliens chasing after them, a bow and arrow with each one. They were very good at shooting arrows, as the couple had soon found out.

"River!"

"Yes, sweetie?" They continued running.

"What would happen if I stuck my fingers through your vortex manipulator while it's on your wrist and then we use it?" the Doctor asked rather quickly.

"I don't know, I've never tried it! It might transport both of us or it might fry you from the security."

"There's security on a vortex manipulator?"

"Of course. You never know who might try to steal it."

He gave her a look as they ran. Who indeed, he thought, other than his wife. "Well right now I think being fried is a lot better than being punctured by thirty-six arrows."

River held out her wrist and he fit his own wrist into her stolen vortex manipulator as best he could. She hit a few buttons, there was a loud noise, and they disappeared. When they reappeared, they were right outside the TARDIS.

"It worked!" the Doctor cried happily, jumping up and down.

River stared at him and laughed. "Yes, it did… And your bow tie is singed."

He looked down frantically and yelled when he saw that his tie was indeed singed. Well, more than singed: it was completely burnt. _"No!_ It can't! I loved this bow tie."

"Calm down, it's not like you don't have hundreds of other ones."

"Yes, but… But… It died… My bow tie… Aww…"

She laughed again. "Let's get into the TARDIS before they find us again."

"But my bow tie."

"Get inside. Come on, we can go pick another one from the wardrobe."

"You'll help me?"

"Why not?" she said, smirking. Maybe she could get him to wear a normal tie for once.

And so the Doctor and his wife entered their ship as three dozen bright red, four-eyed aliens came running towards the mysterious blue box.


	17. Nail Polish

**A/N: Hello again! Here's the next bit! And because I'm in a really good mood, I'm going to give you a hint at the next word. Okay, it starts with 'ex' and ends with 'ion.' : ) Enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think!**

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17: Nail Polish- varnish for fingernails; a fast-drying colored or transparent lacquer used to decorate fingernails or toenails

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The Doctor got up out of bed and walked over to the dresser he shared with his wife. He kept most of his clothes in the wardrobe, but a few were placed in the bedroom for changing in the morning. River was sitting on her side of the bed with a book in hand. Her husband busied himself with dressing and, when only one signature article of clothing was left missing, opened a dresser drawer. He immediately froze and let out a gasp.

"River!" he exclaimed breathily. "What's all this?"

She looked up from her book, a look of innocence playing at her beautiful features. "Well, it's nail polish," she said sweetly.

He looked back down at the drawer. There were rows upon rows of nail polish fit neatly inside, most red, but some clear or other various colors. He knew he was sharing the dresser with his wife; it had been his idea after all, but not this drawer, never this drawer. This drawer was his, his special cabinet for his most sacred bow ties. His favorite ones would be organized into perfectly stationed piles inside just the one drawer, always impeccably in place and never bent or crumpled. They were there because he either wore them the most often or found some special value in them; that way he would never have to search for them through the wardrobe. But as he stared down at his drawer, the _one_ drawer he never let anyone touch, he found them missing. And, in their place, was nail polish. _Nail polish._ _River's_ nail polish.

"Nail polish. You put your nail polish in my bow tie drawer." He looked up at her again, and there was a pause. "Why?"

"My drawers are for clothes only. I couldn't put them there."

"We do have a bathroom, you know. There are drawers in there."

"I know. I wanted to see your reaction."

Another pause. "Where are my bow ties?" He said it calmly after blinking once, his tone with an edge of desperation.

River's innocent wide eyes turned into a mischievous smirk. "Oh, nowhere."

"River!" He gave her a look of warning.

"Doctor," she replied, enjoying the situation quite a lot. Then she sighed. "Fine. If you must know, they happen to be in the wardrobe with the rest of your bow ties."

"The rest… but River! You know I love those bow ties the most! They were put here for easy access and now I have to gather and organize them all over again!" He was near whining.

"Yes I _know,_ dear, but I needed room for my nail polish."

"No. Your nail polish goes in the bathroom. It's right there, you can bear to walk ten extra feet! Now you can help me bring my bow ties back."

She laughed. "I think not. I will move my nail polish but you can move the bow ties."

He looked at her with a look equivalent of 'That is so not fair,' causing her to laugh more.

"How about I make up for it with a kiss?" she asked.

He perked up immediately. She knew that would work.

"Okay," he said, and ran to get his kiss before retrieving his missing bow ties.


	18. Explosion

**A/N: Hello, you all! : ) So this one is a youger Doctor, most likely early season 6. And it's a post WORS River, as most of these will be. This chapter is for Daisiella13, who wanted me to write another chapter like Chapter 14, Heart. It was requested that I write about a younger Doctor not realizing that he's in love with River. Also, in case it's not clear, most of this story, in the italics, is between two parts, or thought processes, in the Doctor's mind. Enjoy!**

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18: Explosion: sudden burst of emotion, a sudden release of intense feeling such as anger or love

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He brought his hand to his hearts when River walked in the room. He hadn't meant to, it was instinctive. He'd felt something.

_What is that? That feeling? My hearts! They're not supposed to feel like that! _The Doctor thought, panicking.

He watched as she looked at something on the console scanner. His hearts felt like they were… exploding. It felt weird, almost like they were hurting because of the intense emotion they carried, the emotion that he couldn't even put a name on.

_They're not supposed to do that! I don't like this! What is she doing to me?_

_She's not doing anything to you, you idiot. It's called emotion, and you're doing it to yourself._ The other part, the realistic part, of his mind thought.

_No! Why would I be feeling emotion because River Song walked in? _The first him, in denial, thought.

_Hmm, I don't know._ He thought, getting sarcastic with himself. _You're falling for her!_

_I am not falling for that woman! She does nothing to make me feel this way!_

_Look at you, you're so dense! Look how thick you are! 900 years of experience and you can't even realize when you're in love._

_I am not in love! Why would I be in love with her?_

The hand he held right under his bow tie clutched at his chest even tighter as the feeling intensified.

_What IS that?_ The first him repeated.

_Just hold her hand and get it over with, will you? You should be happy about this! She's smart, beautiful, AND she time travels._

_NO!_ Still in denial, the original thought process argued back.

_You're missing all of the signs! Look at the way she flirts with you, the way she looks at you. There's something going on there._

_There is absolutely NOTHING going on. She's just a friend, nothing more._

_And the way she acted towards you at the Library?_ The second him, ever the realist, pointed out.

_She's just a companion. A very, very close companion._

_You're still not seeing. I'm not surprised. You just don't want to see, do you?_

_No, I do not want to see! I do not want to be in love with River!_

_Well too bad, it's a bit late for that! And yes, you do want to be in love with her! Listen to the beating of your hearts when she comes anywhere near you, or watch the way you walk just a bit closer to her than you do to other companions. You're so protective of her, and you even flirt with her. Voluntarily, may I add._

_Ugh, fine! I get the point already, now leave me be!_

_You're still in denial._

_Yeah, whatever._

_Say it. Say you love her._

_I am not saying that!_

_Fine, at least think it._

The first him let out a mental 'humph!' _I may, possibly maybe in a way, have feelings for River Song. There. Happy now?_

_Very. Now you just have to say it to her._

_I am NOT-_

"Sweetie?" River interrupted, looking over from where she stood at the console, a smile on her lips.

"Yes?" the Doctor replied, his voice hoarse. He immediately cleared his throat to try and hide it.

"Are you all right?" She indicated the hand he had placed over his hearts. He stared, knowing that she knew exactly what was going on.

"I, uh… Of course. It's just that I, um… I seem to have lost an argument with myself." This was one argument, however, that he didn't mind losing.


	19. Flowers

19: Flowers- a plant stem with one or more flowers that has been picked from the plant on which it grew; a small plant grown for the attractiveness of its flowers

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The Doctor walked through the door of the little shop and stopped dead in his tracks. How could there be so many? He had been to whole planets of just flowers and he couldn't think of a time he knew that so many kinds of them existed.

"Can I help you?" a woman said from behind the counter by a wall length window.

"Uh, no, just looking," he relied nervously.

_Calm down, Doctor,_ he thought to himself. _It's just a flower shop. You can do this._

He had decided to buy River flowers and send them to her at Stormcage, wanting to give her a nice surprise and let her know that he was thinking about her. Because, of course, he was _always_ thinking about her. So he might as well let her know! As he walked further into the flower shop, he began contemplating what kind to get her. He hadn't thought it would be this complicated. He had figured he would waltz right in, pick up a bouquet, and leave. Well, obviously he was wrong. There were way too many kinds to count, none of them made up into bouquets, and there was even a freezer room. Which was full of yet _more flowers._

So, upon seeing the scene now before him, the Doctor opted for smelling and observing the prettiest flowers he saw. He would walk up to a particular plant and, upon deeming it good enough to be seen by River, would make up his mind as to whether or not they were the right ones after all.

Each flower had to pass the test. Too pink, he decided as he passed the roses. Too innocent, he thought, walking by the daisies. Too… carnivorous, he said when he saw a Venus flytrap. Finally, he found the perfect flower: lilies. He knew immediately upon seeing them that they were the ones. They were just bold enough, just soft enough, that they fit River's personality entirely. He chose pink lilies, liking them best for her. They were a dark pink that faded to a lighter pink or even white at the edges of each petal, and they were speckled with the dark pink near the lighter bit.

Once the woman behind the counter had made up a perfect bouquet, placed in a clear vase, the Doctor paid and left, excitement at giving the beautiful gift to his wife rushing through him.

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Doctor River Song looked up from her diary as a prison guard walked over to her cell, placed a vase inside, and walked silently away. When he was gone, she got up off of her bed and walked to the vase full of flowers. She thought they were beautiful; she'd always had a fondness for lilies, and there was no doubt who had sent them. She picked up the small business card-sized note that was placed within the flowers and read.

_.._

_River,_

_I'm sending you these flowers because they are almost as gorgeous as you. But not quite. I think they fit you, in a way. Also, they are closely related to the water lily flower, and your name is River. You know, like water. River, water lily? See what I mean? Anyway, please enjoy these flowers, and always know that though they are the most beautiful flowers in the world they will never compare to you._

_All my love,_

_The Doctor _

_XO_

_.._

River smiled and moved the flowers to her bedside table, propping the note up against the vase perfectly. And while the flowers may die in time, she thought, her smile growing, she will never rid of this memory.


	20. Guide

**A/N: Hi everyone! Wow, # 20! I hope you like this one! I enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think! : )**

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20: Guide- somebody who leads tourists; leader of a tour

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"Dr. Song," a prison guard said wearily as he held a phone through the bars of her cell. "It's for you."

River got up and retrieved the phone. When she was back sitting comfortably on her bed, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, my name is the Doctor and I'll be your guide today. Feel free to ask me any questions along the way." He spoke as though he was working at a museum, and she rolled her eyes. "Now, our first and only stop along this particular tour is the hearts. Now the hearts are the most important organ in a Time Lord's body not only because they pump blood through our systems, like a normal human heart does, but because they allow us the privilege, as some would call it, of regeneration. Can anyone here tell me how regeneration works?"

There was silence. River was sitting on her bed with both eyebrows raised, an amused smile on her lips at her husband's playfulness. Was he really giving her an over-the-phone tour of his _hearts?_

"No volunteers?" the Doctor said from the other end of the phone. "Okay, I'll just have to choose. How about that lovely woman I see with the curly blond hair? Can you answer my question for the group?"

She smiled. There was no group, of course, it was just her on the phone, but she went along with his game anyway. "When a Time Lord is dying they can regenerate. Having two hearts allows them to be born again, in a way. Their physical appearance and some forms of their personality change as well. A Time Lord can regenerate thirteen times naturally."

The Doctor smiled on his end of the line. "Very good. You know quite a lot about Time Lords for someone taking this tour for the first time."

She laughed, enjoying playing along with him.

He continued on his 'tour.' "Now that everyone understands how Time Lord hearts work, I'm going to tell you all a story. This is a true story, one that must be told when you're on a tour of the hearts. Here goes: Once upon a time there was a Time Lord named the Doctor. He, of course, had two hearts like all the others of his kind. However, he was the only Time Lord left in existence. At one point in his life, when he was hundreds of years old, he met a woman. Now this woman wasn't like most women: she was part Time Lord, having been conceived in a TARDIS. She was unlike other women for others reasons as well, however. She was kind, bold, flirtatious, and beautiful with curly blond hair and a disarming smile. She knew this man like no one else knew him, and in the beginning it scared him. He was sometimes rude to her in an attempt to hide himself away from her. For he did not want to fall in love again, fearing the loss he knew he would one day suffer when she would be gone. This did not last very long. Every time he met her, he could feel his resolve slipping more and more, could sense himself falling head over heels in love with her. Finally, when the time presented itself, he married her. Ever since, he has loved her with both of his hearts. She is Melody Pond, and she became a legend. It is very hard to steal a Time Lord's hearts, but by no means is it impossible. This is the story of a woman who stole the Doctor's hearts like no other has ever been able to, like no other will ever be able to again." He paused, adding emphasis. River, on the other end of the line, wiped her eyes quickly, hastily, truly touched by his sincerity and thoughtfulness. He could be so sweet. "Thank you for listening ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed the tour. Come again soon. Oh, and um, to the pretty lady with the curly blond hair—we should meet over coffee some time. What would you say about tomorrow at 5:00?"

And he hung up the phone with a smirk.


	21. Crazy

**A/N: Working through a small bit of writer's block. It's not bad, so it shouldn't last long. For some reason this word was giving me trouble. Anyway, more coming soon! Enjoy! : )**

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21: Crazy- ridiculous; not showing good sense or practicality

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"It's crazy! It will never work!" River shouted over the noise of the console room. The Doctor had insisted on flying the TARDIS to their favorite restaurant for date night, and, of course, something had gone wrong. As to what, neither of them were certain. The only thing they did know was that they were crashing. Again.

"What do you mean it will never work? If I stop the neutrons from flowing into the TARDIS interior then they'll never meet with the electrons. Therefore, we won't crash!" the Doctor cried.

"And how does that make any sense? How do the neutrons meeting the electrons have anything to do with crashing?" River pointed out, knowing that in reality he had no idea what he was doing.

Her husband stuttered for a moment, sounding flustered. "Because… just because! Trust me, I'm the Doctor! It'll work!"

"Fine! But when we crash because your neutrons didn't make any difference, it won't be my fault!"

They both yelled out as their ship lurched violently to the side, sending them sprawling onto the seat next to the console dashboard. The Doctor bounced back up quickly, holding his head, which he had hit against a lever sticking out of the console. He reached out and pulled that same lever while pressing various other buttons in a special order and ducked, not fully knowing what the end result would be. There was one last giant _crash_ and another vehement jolt and all went still. The Doctor stood up and looked around slowly, as though he still weren't sure of what had just happened. Then, when he realized they were safe, he laughed lightheartedly, smiling.

"I did it!" he exclaimed, suddenly becoming very sure of himself. "Who's the crazy one now?"

River stepped out from the other side of the console, her hair tangled. "Still you."

"Nope! I saved us!" His chin was up, teasing, almost arrogant.

She just smirked. "Did you now? You see, while you stopped the neutron flow, I figured out that the reason we were crashing in the first place was because you put us in autopilot. _Autopilot_," she repeated, adding emphasis.

"I… did?"

"Yes, you very well did. Wrong button. And when you put the TARDIS in autopilot and try to fly her, she automatically turns autopilot off. And to think you had no idea. So, I'll say it again, if I may. Who's the crazy one now? Still you."

The Doctor merely sighed, his judgment in knowing when to surrender to River (usually) better than his judgment in flying his ship.


	22. Rocks

A/N: Sorry for the wait you guys! I'll try to update sooner for the next one! Thank you to everyone who still reads my story, I'm really grateful! To make up for the wait, and for this chapter being so short, I'll give you a hint at the next chapter's word- it begins with an 'm' and has to do with happiness. : ) Enjoy!

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22: Rocks- dependable person; a stable, dependable, or supportive person or thing, especially in times of trouble

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She was his rock.

He had known it all along, of course. She had helped him through so much. River was there for him when the Ponds left, when he was at Demon's Run, when he had days where he wasn't sure why he even existed. She had helped him grieve her own death, while it was unknowingly.

How could someone do so much to help him? The Doctor had been married before; he knew just how much love could heal. But River- River was different. That's what puzzled him. Everything- _everything_- was on a grander scale with her. All he had to do was think of her and a bad day suddenly wasn't quite so bad, at least by a little bit.

She also kept him from making stupid decisions. How she managed that he wasn't really sure, and it was likely he would never know, but she kept his prone-to-trouble self out of _too_ much trouble. And when trouble couldn't be avoided, she was right there with him, laughing and helping to solve the problem. No matter what he was going through, she would help him, regardless of what was going on in her own life. River was the rock that kept him grounded when he was ready to let gravity take him away.

He knew that one day she would be gone- off to the Library to have her own adventures- but even then, the thought of her smile would help him through anything.


End file.
